Steamboats

A brief history and description of steam/river boats

Steamboat Racing

Steamboat racing was a common sport for those of the upper class in communities all along the Mississippi River. Steamboat racing was a widely known and preformed sport with families gathering and men drinking and smoking socially while watching the races. Unfortunately, steamboats only tend to go about 5-8 miles per hour in the races, and with all the machinery in the steamboat working so hard, steamboats at the races were known to explode.

Steamboat Racing Deaths

The most common causes of death in Steamboat races were boiler explosions, fires, and collisions, and while the racing was interesting to watch, they often put a large number of passengers at risk as well. Think of a number in your head right now for the number of deaths related to Steamboat Racing along the Mississippi River from 1810 to 1850. Got it? Go see if you were right.

Number of Deaths in Steamboat Racing from 1810-1850

An estimated 4,000 died from 1810 to 1850 in steamboat races along the Mississippi alone.

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